Your windshield wipers have probably seen a lot this season – heck, this year (and it’s not even February yet) with the weather we’ve been having. This means that it’s more important now than ever to make sure your wipers are in good shape. Check out how you should be making sure those wipers are in the best shape they can be!

When you’re checking out your wiper blades, look for these things:

• Broken frame – detachment of frame arms at joints or connection points.

• Metal Corrosion – especially at joints and claws.

• Visible cracks, tears, and missing pieces in the rubber squeegee’s edge.

• Flex rubber squeegee back and forth to see if it is still flexible. Aged squeegees will have difficulty conforming to the shape of your windshield and create streaks.

• Check squeegee wiping edge for rounded edges which can prevent the wiper blade from making strong contact with the windshield and reduces wipe quality.

• Tug to ensure wiper blade has been securely installed on the wiper arm.

• Check that squeegee is secure in the wiper frame.*

Your wipers can break down due to several factors that are kind of unavoidable if you use your car at all (and some, even if you don’t use your car):

• Sun: Ultraviolet light and ozone deterioration

• Oil: Car waxes and exhaust hold rubber-deteriorating oil

• Airborne debris: Sand, mud, and dust carried in the wind

• Moisture: Acid rain and salt water (in moist air both near the shore and inland)*

Finally, these are the warning signs that you should look out for to know when it’s time to replace those wipers:

• Streaking occurs when the rubber squeegee dries, hardens and cracks. It can also be caused by tree sap, road tar and other foreign substances collected on either the glass or the blade.

• Skipping occurs when the blade develops a curvature from lack of use (e.g. left in the ‘parked position’ for an extended length of time).

• Wearing occurs with extensive use and is when the rubber edges are rounded instead of squared.

• Splitting is caused when the sun’s ultraviolet rays penetrate the rubber squeegee, causing it to break down and separate from the frame.

• Bent Refill Vertebra and Bent Frames cause inconsistent contact with the glass surface, creating streaking or skipping.*

Some tips for making sure your wipers stay in great shape throughout their lives?

• Clean your windshield every time you fill your gas tank.

• Gently wipe the rubber squeegee with a damp paper towel to remove any loose dirt or oil.

• Never use your windshield wipers to de-ice your windshield. Instead, either use an ice scraper or use your defroster to melt snow and ice.

• Pull your wiper blades away from the windshield during winter months to prevent ice build up on the rubber squeegee and to prevent them from sticking to the windshield.*

*Information from: https://www.rainx.com/tips-information/wiper-blade-maintenance-tips/